5 Ways Your Website is Driving Away Mobile Readers

Can people easily read your content on their phone? If not, then your website is driving away mobile readers.

There’s a good chance you’re reading this blog post on your phone.

Nearly 40% of our readers use a mobile phone to read our content. If I were a gambling man, then I would wager your website has similar percentages or higher.

This number will continue to rise.

You see, more than 75% of Americans own a smartphone. And they check their phones their phones eight billion times per day.

Now, Americans are not only checking their email, taking selfies, and scrolling their social media feeds. They’re increasingly using their phone to read eBooks, longer articles, and your blog posts.

When it comes to writing a blog post people will actually read, you need to think through how well your words can be read on a phone.

Your words and your mobile readers

Words do not exist in a vacuum.

The way you read a book, newspaper or magazine, or blog post is different. From holding a hardcover book in your hand to flipping through the pages of a magazine to scrolling an article on your phone, you will have different experiences in every setting because how you’re reading is different.

This distinction is important to keep in mind when it comes to web writing.

What works well for readers in one medium does not necessarily work well for another. In other words, your font, layout, and design play an important role in how well your words can be read.

To help you along your way, here are five ways your website may be driving away mobile readers. Avoid these landmines at all costs.

1. Your font size is illegible 

The size of your font matters.

A small font translates into an eye-straining experience for your readers.

Create a great reading experience for your readers by using a reader-friendly font size.

Google Developers recommend a base font size of 16 CSS pixels. As they point out, the best font size for your website is determined by the font you’re using and the device being used.

Now, when it comes to buttons and calls to action on your website, you can get away with a larger font. In the words of Kristina Cisnero of Hootsuite, “the bigger the button, the better.”

For calls to action, a larger font and button will make it easier for your readers. It will help them to see the next step you would like for them to take.

To figure out the best font size for your website, compare the view of your website on your phone to a book. Adjust your font size until the words on your phone from your website are similar in size to a book.

Your readers should have the ability to hold their phone at a distance to read your content—not directly in front of their nose.

2. Your font is not readable

All fonts are not created equal.

Some fonts are optimal for print, whereas other fonts are better for reading online.

A quick search online will provide you with a plethora of options.

This article will help you to get started, and my friend Mattox Shuler, the founder of Fort, creates breathtaking fonts.

The main thing for you to remember is to choose a font that meshes well with your brand and one people can read on a phone.

3. Your website’s background is distracting

The background of your website should support your font—not distract from it.

Fancy images, designs, and colors may look dreamy on a desktop. But they can turn into a nightmare on a phone.

Fight the temptation to add everything thing to your website. It’s best to maximize white space. Using white space is a powerful technique a writer can use to optimize their copy.

According to Treehouse, an online web design and coding school, white space is “the portion of a page left unmarked, the portion that is blank, or the empty space on a page.”

You see a great example every day and you probably don’t realize it. Take a look at this screenshot:

Google has successfully maximized white space.

“That only works for Google,” is a common refrain.

But remember, Google hasn’t always been Google. They had a beginning, too.

What I’m trying to say is just because Google is the default search engine for many people doesn’t mean you can’t use white space. That’s not the case at all.

To give you a better idea of using white space, here are some great examples to consider:

Michael Hyatt:

Observer:

 

Copybot (shameless plug):

iconiContent:

Jeff Goins:

These websites make it easy for people to read. They help readers to focus on reading by reducing distractions.

These websites make it easy for people to read. They help readers to focus on reading by reducing distractions.

Again, in principal, you want to mimic the reading experience of a book for your mobile readers.

4. Your website is cluttered

Busy pages create a terrible reading experience on a phone.

Think about it this way: What if you were reading a book on your phone and the page you were reading was littered with opt-in forms or advertisements? Would it be hard to focus on what you were reading? I’d think so.

The same holds true for your website. A cluttered website is a huge turnoff for readers.

What looks great on your laptop, desktop, and even tablet may not work well on a mobile phone.

A great example to consider is NPR (National Public Radio).

NPR provides a ton of news and programming.

If anyone’s site can be cramped with information, it’s theirs.

Check out this screen shot from my phone to see how they arrange their material:

They have a smooth single-column layout.

Their menu in the top left-handed corner creates easy navigation for their readers.

Now, if you click on the radio icon in the top right-hand corner, then their website will drop down the option to listen to their radio program.

NPR creates a great user experience for their readers and listeners by optimizing white space, providing quick access to their radio program, and easy navigation.

5. Your website is not responsive

Does your website look the same on a desktop, tablet, and phone?

This is not a good thing if it does.

Your website needs to be able to look good on any device. It needs to be able to adapt to whatever a user is using to read your content. This is called responsive web design.

Instead of building two websites (e.g., www.thecopybot.com or m.thecopybot.com) or creating an app only for mobile users, it’s best for you and your readers to use a responsive design. This way your website will automatically adjust its display to fit the screen your reader is using.

This will create a fluid experience for your visitors and keep them coming back for more.

Your Turn

Does your website read like a book on a phone?

Can people easily read what you’re writing?

Is your website littered with distractions?

Do you have to pinch your screen with your fingers to zoom in and out?

These questions will help you to get started.

If you still have questions, then check out Google’s free mobile-friendly test. This free tool will quickly let you know whether or not your website is mobile friendly.

I hope your website is mobile friendly.

I’d hate for you to spend hours writing great content that cannot be read on a phone.

Have a mobile first strategy. Visualize your content being read on a phone.

This simple exercise will help you to best connect with your mobile readers.

Want to blog better?

Whether you’re a new writer or a proven veteran, you have to be good to rise above the clutter.

Hone your skills with our free email course “5 Days to Writing Blog Posts that Demand Attention.”

Click here to enroll in the course for free!

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How to Plan Your Video Marketing Strategy

You’ve done it, you savvy good-looking marketer.

You got the necessary approvals, budget, and executive buy-in to start with video marketing for your brand. You’re joining the big leagues! Video is going to be the game-changing tactic you use to capture the attention of your target audience, become more visible in search, and convert prospects throughout the funnel.

Your sales team will share your marketing videos to close more deals faster (alignment for the win, baby!), and you’ve committed to tracking your performance with video engagement data. You’re all set. You’re on the video bus. It’s ALL happening!

(Record scratch)

Ah, if only it were that simple.

What about your video marketing strategy?

Whether you’ve just stepped into the scene, or you’ve been using videos for ages, you need a road map outlining what it’s all for, where you’re going, and how you’ll measure success.

Your plan doesn’t need to be incredibly detailed (as the performance of your first few videos will often reveal some necessary modifications), but you should have a good idea of how you’ll align video content with the goals of your company.

A solid plan can be the difference between knowing your content is delivering ROI, versus throwing metaphorical spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks.
Here’s how to map out your purposeful video marketing strategy.

1. Determine what your video content will accomplish (and for whom)

Just as Joe Pulizzi suggests you should start your content marketing strategy in general, you’ll want a video marketing mission statement. A simple, one-liner that sums up:

• what type of content you’ll make: Educational videos? Entertaining? Practical? A mix? Your brand’s tone and audience’s needs should determine your approach here.
• Exactly who you’re making this content for: outline your target demographic with as much detail as you can.
• What your audience should takeaway from your videos: What’s the value add of your content in particular? What does it help your audience do?

In order to justify videos that may be unrelated to your B2B product (often the mark of true content marketing), your business needs to understand why you’re creating video stories. What are you trying to accomplish and with whom?

Write out your statement like this: “At (Company name), we make (adjective) video content for (specify target audience), so that they (exactly what you want them to do).”

All set, now for the videos…

2. Outline the video topics and types you’ll create

When looking to implement video across an enterprise, it’s important to outline your scope. First look to which functions of the business will be using video and whether the assets will be used internally, externally, or both.

For example, if you run an enterprise B2B software company, you might want to break video content down as it supports different business functions, such as “Product”, “HR”, “Corporate Events”, “Internal Communications”, “Sales”, “Support”, etc. From there, you should decide which types of stories you’ll need to tell under each of these functions.

In the “Product” vertical, for example, you might have stories to tell about a certain product lines, the theme of analytics, and the theme of optimization. These are your official “content pillars” that become what you’ll build video concepts and campaigns around. These are usually broad and, in most cases, shouldn’t be too product heavy at the top of the funnel.

After determining your content pillars (essentially the stories you must tell within each function across your organization), you’ll be able to brainstorm the types of videos that work to tell those stories. Some options include:

• Recorded webinars
• Helpful how-to videos
• Thought leadership interviews
• Product explainers and detailed demos
• Support-topic walkthroughs
• Company culture videos
• Customer testimonials
• Documentary-like case studies, and more

A good way to approach video at the outset is to discover the questions your target audience is asking, and answer these with detailed how-to content. Not only will you benefit from the enhanced SEO by creating videos about these how-to topics, but you can become the go-to expert on the topic and remembered by your audience as such. You’ll also want to build out compelling, high-level brand stories to initially attract your target customer at the top of the funnel.

Learn how to map your video content to all parts of the funnel and drive viewer’s through the buying cycle with this handy post, or see some awesome B2B video examples for some inspiration.

3. Establish who’s responsible for creating content

Depending on the production quality you’re aiming for and your budget, you might be able to invest in an in-house videographer, or even a team of marketers dedicated to video. However, you might also be outsourcing high-budget content with an agency. Overall, assess the resources you’ve got and figure out if you’re developing content in-house or outsourcing production, and how you draw the distinction on various projects.

No matter how you’re operating, outline who is responsible for the creative concepts, who will write the scripts, how final approvals are gained, who organizes the logistics of a video shoot, and who’s responsible for distributing the videos once they are complete. You may also want an “editorial board” of major stakeholders who are consulted for video feedback. You definitely want feedback at critical points in the video process/projects, but be mindful of an excess of cooks in the kitchen.

Where do you get started?

Your marketing team could aim to kick off video efforts with a small, three-part video series for internal communication, for example. This is similar to how Canadian mega-brand Telus got started, and based on the success of their in-house video production team, they now create a whopping 500 video stories a year to amplify their brand message. In a B2B example, Taulia creates content with a mix of in-house and outsourced footage. They collaborate with an agency to ensure scripts and concepts are targeted to their buying personas.

4. Where will your content live?

Whether you’re reusing webinar content, creating how-to videos, or behind the scenes interviews with your management team, you need to know where your videos will live on your website.

You’ll notice I didn’t say “on YouTube”.

While YouTube is an amazing (and incredibly important) distribution channel, it’s not a strategy. At the end of the day YouTube has an interest in keeping people on their site, whereas you can really only prompt conversion on your own site. That’s why you not only need links back to your website within your SEO-optimized YouTube descriptions, but you’ll also want to create a destination on your site where prospects can go through a content journey and become increasingly immersed in your brand and message with lots of videos, mimicking the addictive YouTube experience.

You’ll notice that major brands behaving like media companies tend to have entire pages of their websites devoted to video. Take a look at The Lego Group for instance (they’ve got an entire “videos” section on their site, organized by story and character). Or, for a B2B example, see SAP and their resource hubs which contain their professional and humanizing brand videos.

To get started with video on your own site, try incorporating relevant videos into blog posts and creating a video hub where all of your content is organized into categories. Also see our distribution checklist to determine where else your videos should be syndicated.

5. Determine how you’ll measure performance

In the same way you track KPIs for written content, you need to produce, release, then review your videos and their associated analytics in order to justify your investment in the medium. Metrics might still be a scary word, but video is actually easier to measure than you might think. Because video is distributed in a “player” or “container”, you can get data for wherever your video is syndicated through a video marketing platform. What’s more is that your video data can contribute to more accurate lead scoring as you’ll be able to see which prospects are watching which videos, and for how long.

Some metrics you should track for each video campaign you release, include:

Attention span and drop-off rates: Do >60% of your audience make it to the end of your videos on average?
Click through rates: Split test the results for email content with and without video content.
The total amount of your video content leads consume: How many videos do individual leads watch in a day? A month? A week?

To get the full list of exactly which metrics you should be tracking, download the Modern Marketer’s Guide to Video. With incredible B2B video marketing examples, the numbers you need to pay attention to, and a six step plan for creating purposeful video campaigns, this is a guide you don’t want to miss.

Overall, a video strategy keeps you from creating aimless content. Your videos should have a purpose aligned with your business goals.

Do you have a documented video strategy? Who’s responsible for video at your organization?

Updated May 2017: Going Beyond Strategy

Jennifer’s post does a great job of outlining the strategy your team needs to implement for creating marketing content, but what comes next? Video production isn’t as simple as pressing record – there’s mapping out your ideas, getting the right equipment, and about a hundred more steps between idea and success. So where do you start?

That’s where the Video Marketing Institute comes in. We created the VMI to cover every part of the video production process, from deciding when to use video, through to producing an effective video, distributing it, and of course, measuring the results!

You’ll learn:

• How to budget for your next video project
• What you need to build an effective in-house studio
• Where to host your video for maximum effectiveness
• Technologies that can enhance your video ROI
• And more!

Register for lesson one, and start learning!

The post How to Plan Your Video Marketing Strategy appeared first on Vidyard.

source http://www.vidyard.com/blog/how-to-develop-a-video-marketing-strategy/

The Newbie’s Guide to Becoming a Better Writer

Writing.

It’s an innate desire most people have.

In fact, previous research revealed that 81% of Americans believe they “have a book in them.”

Not only do most people desire to write a book. Many people write books every year. In fact, nearly 1.5 million books (new titles and non-traditional) were published in 2013.

Writing is like being hungry.

It is a desire you cannot satisfy until you fulfill its cravings.

“Writing is like a ‘lust,’ or like ‘scratching when you itch,’” remarked C.S. Lewis during his final interview. He went on to say, “Writing comes as a result of a very strong impulse, and when it does come, I for one must get it out.”

Do you have a compelling desire to write?

Is there a story begging to get out of you?

Do you have an idea that you cannot but help share?

If so, what’s holding you back?

There are many obstacles and excuses that can keep us from moving forward. But the main reason many of us don’t place our thoughts on paper is because of fear.

The fear of not being able to express ourselves well. The fear of not having something worth sharing. The fear of someone else’s opinion.

For many years, I wrestled with a tremendous fear of writing.

Today, I still fight this fear.

Every time I sit down to write, edit. or publish anything, I have to punch fear in the face.

My ability to overcome my fear wasn’t something I planned to do. It was something that accidentally happened over the years.

After reflecting upon my experience, there are two essential lessons I learned. Lessons you cannot afford to miss.

There are many writing tips you can use to help you develop your abilities. But the two lessons below must be embraced on your journey to becoming a better writer.

1. Write, Write, & Write

Writing is not only an art. It’s a craft that can be learned.

You can learn the art and craft of writing by writing.

This isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes many hours of deliberate practice over a period of time to hone your skills.

It is true that some people have a natural talent for writing and wax poetic from birth. But this shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your interest in developing your passions.

You can become a better writer.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re 10, 20, 30, or 50-years-old.

There is no shortcut you can take, a program you can download, or easy button you can press to become a better writer. The best thing you can do if you want to write is to actually write.

2. Read, Read, & Read

Reading is the second best thing you can do to learn how to write.

For starters, if you are interested in writing on a specific topic, then you must learn that specific topic.

I’m not saying you have to get an advanced degree. But I am saying you will need to invest time in studying in your area of interest. There’s no shortcut to learning the material you want to write about.

Reading will also help you to see how others share their ideas. Getting a feel for how other people share their ideas will help you to better understand how to do the same.

Take the time to observe their style and tone, structure, how they use illustrations, and more. This will give you a good idea on what’s best resonating with readers.

It’s also important to read beyond your area of interest.

Read old books. Stay on top of the best-sellers list. And read the books your family and friends are reading—even if you hate them.

Reading beyond your comfort zone will stretch you as a writer in a good way. It will provide you with new perspectives in how you can best get your message across.

If you struggle with creating the time to read more books, then check out this post: The Easiest Way to Read More Books. It will walk you through a practical plan anyone can use.

Your turn

My observations are not new.

People far more intelligent than myself have said them before.

So I will leave you with the words of Stephen King, one of history’s most distinguished authors:

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

Dear writer, write and read.

These two steps will pave the path to your writing success.

Want to blog better?

Whether you’re a new writer or a proven veteran, you have to be good to rise above the clutter.

Hone your skills with our free email course “5 Days to Writing Blog Posts that Demand Attention.”

Click here to enroll in the course for free!

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How-To Maximize Your First Impressions With Video Thumbnails

They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover – but people put a lot of effort into making book covers, so they must matter, right? It’s someone’s job to get you to pick up the book and at least flip through the pages. In this same vein, first impressions can be the most important ones, especially for a sales professional.

And when that first impression is an email, the deck is already stacked against you. Your prospects are being bombarded with messaging from every angle, and standing out against the crowd is harder than ever.

That’s why video is a game changer for sales. It’s easy to include in your emails, and it’s compelling to click on – but only if you get it right. And with that in mind, today I want to talk about video thumbnails. Think of them as the book cover for your video:

The thumbnail is the static image that your prospects will see when they open your email. Much like a book cover, it has to be enticing enough to get someone to click ‘play’ and start watching. But not all thumbnails are created equal, so let’s dive into what makes a great one!

Video Thumbnails for Prospecting Emails 101

Setting up a thumbnail is like setting up a family photo. Here are the key elements you need to help you get started:

1. Project Confidence – To project confidence, have a genuine smile. Smiling shows that you enjoy what you’re doing, and that you are a more approachable person. It’s not about your looks, it’s about presenting yourself confidently.
2. Choose your Environment – Where you are recording the video will affect how people perceive you. If you have a vibrant and open office space, showcase that in your thumbnail to enhance your message. Or find a quiet space to keep the focus on you. Let your surroundings do some of the work for you.
   
3. Personalization – Personalized video thumbnails have significantly higher click-through rates than generic ones. In fact, personalizing your thumbnail can increase click-through rates by up to 5x! A simple solution for personalization is to use a small whiteboard. Get creative and put your CTAs on the whiteboard (eg. First name and “Click Me”). Or, on special occasions, dress up and have fun with it!
4. Lighting – You don’t need any fancy lighting equipment. Just make sure to keep the light source in front of you, and don’t have your back to the window. Ultimately you want the lighting to highlight the important things about the thumbnail (eg. your smile and the text on the whiteboard). Here are examples of good and bad lighting in thumbnails:
5. Sizing – When you’re ready to add the thumbnail to your email, make sure you have the sizing right. Too big, and you run the risk of overpowering the text. Too small, and you run the risk of having your fancy personalization be unreadable. In fact, the text on your whiteboard is probably your best metric for success – if you can read it, then it’s probably the right size.

Examples of Good and Bad Thumbnails

Check out some other examples of good and bad thumbnails below.

Winning smile, good lighting, clean background, good use of prop.

Movement in the thumbnail leads to a blurry and unprofessional picture.

The smile, good lightning, and showcasing company culture are some of the things that make this a great thumbnail.

Looking down, no smile, and “sensitive” company info make this a bad non-enticing thumbnail.

Don’t Forget the Play Button

This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you’re using a static image in your email to link to your video, make sure you have the play button in the image! This is important because it lets your prospects know that it’s a video they’re seeing and not just a cute picture with their name on it.

But before you grab a screenshot of that thumbnail and include it in your email, make sure that the thumbnail you’ve chosen makes sense with a play button involved. Sometimes the play button will block your personalization, or otherwise cut out an important part of what makes the thumbnail enticing to click on, so you may need to do some work to ensure everything fits.

Final Thoughts

Most video platforms allow you to set your own thumbnail. YouTube does, and Vidyard does as well. But if you’re looking to create video quickly, and include these personalization elements, I would recommend a tool like ViewedIt. With this free recording tool for Chrome, you’re given a three second countdown to set up your thumbnail image, and as long as you follow the above recommendations you should be good to go. As a bonus, you can always re-record quickly if you find the lighting, scene, or tone is off.

With all of these things in mind, the most important thing is to have fun with it. Thumbnails are the book covers that entice people to hear your story. Stand out in the crowd, make some noise, and let your personality shine through. People like to engage with people who are excited, happy, and enjoying what they’re doing. It is your virtual first impression. Make it count!

The post How-To Maximize Your First Impressions With Video Thumbnails appeared first on Vidyard.

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3 Tips for Building Confidence in Front of the Camera

Stepping in front of a camera for the first time can be intimidating. Add in the pressure of making a good first impression, and you’ve got a recipe for some pretty serious butterflies in your stomach. For most sales reps that are getting started with video in their prospecting or marketers speaking about a new product launch, this is what they’re up against – and the first video is usually the hardest.

So we reached out to Meaghan Corson, Brand & Video Marketing Expert at Flash22 Productions to get her tips on making successful video, and feeling good about it.

Lights, camera, and backdrop are all important, but the most important part of the video is you – so focus on that first! Preparation is the key to feeling great when you step in front of the camera. Let’s dive into Meaghan’s recommendations for your look, your sound, and your expressions for the more impactful, professional production.

 

3 Tips for a Professional On-Camera Performance

 

1. Your Look

Your hair, clothes, and any other personal details make a big impression. Wearing jewel tones helps you stand out against the background, but if you don’t have any of those, at least avoid wearing all black and all white. These tones can leave you washed out as the camera looks for the darkest darks, and the lightest lights.

2. Your Sound

You want to set your voice up for success by drinking water or tea before filming to help make it as clear as possible. A quick tip for building authority in your content is lowering the tone of your voice to add a more serious tone to your videos. When you’re conveying an excited tone, avoid going too high-pitched as it can be distracting. To keep things engaging, vary the volume, pacing, and tonality of your voice. An easy way to add some pacing to your videos is to pause after a sentence – this helps build in a bit of drama.

3. Your Expressions

Everyone always wonders, what should they do with their hands? You’ll want to move your hands and face to gesture to keep the tone conversational. Look directly into the camera if you’re addressing the viewer, as you can build a sense of connectivity. Envision the person you’re looking at behind the camera.

When it comes to your hands and arms, you’ll want to move naturally so you don’t look stiff. But you don’t want to move your arms all over the place, as this can be distracting. Move your hands and arms with purpose, and gesture at the camera to pull viewers into what you are saying.

Cool as a Cucumber

By focusing on your look, your sound, and your expressions and gestures, you’ll not only feel more confident on camera, but project it too! Are there any secret tips and tricks that you use to prepare for your videos? Let us know in the comments!

The post 3 Tips for Building Confidence in Front of the Camera appeared first on Vidyard.

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8 Practical and Proven Ways You Can Get More Views on Your Medium Blog

Every new blogger has the exact same problem.

No one. Reads. Our stuff.

Once you have a little attention, you have something to build on. People start talking, and the rest is history.

But those first thousand readers are tough.

If you’re smart, you’ll start with who you know; but for most of us, that well runs dry at around 100 folks.

So where do you go from there?

One great option is a website called Medium.

Medium is a massive community with thousands of bloggers and millions of readers.

I’ve attracted hundreds of new readers to my blog by posting on Medium. It’s easy and fun. So in this post, I’ll show you how to do it too.

First things first, I’ll teach you the basics — how to create an account and start posting.

If you already know that stuff, click here to jump to hyperspace (you’ll pop out for the advanced strategies further down this post).

How to Start a Blog on Medium

First, you’ll need a free account.

Posting on Medium is absolutely free. Just go to Medium.com and click “Sign In/Sign Up” at the top right corner.

Then, you’ll need something to post.

One of my favorite things about Medium is the content you post doesn’t have to be original to the site.

By that I mean, you can write something, share it on your blog, and repost it on Medium — killing two birds with one stone.

I personally repost all my blogs on Medium.

Finally, you’ll need something to persuade people to join your email list.

Remember, our goal is to get more people reading your blog. And the best way to do that is getting readers on an email list.

Then, every time you post something new, you can send an email reminding them to check it out.

(If you don’t currently have an email list, we recommend ConvertKit because it’s so simple to use.)

But before you can get people on an email list, you need to give them a compelling reason to sign up. This free giveaway is often called a lead magnet.

It can be a short ebook, a checklist, a video training, an assessment — whatever you think your ideal readers will want to sign up for.

Here’s what I use on Medium:

Once you have these three things, you’re ready to start posting. Just click “Write a story” in the top right.

Drafts save automatically. You don’t have to publish in one sitting. When you get back, just click your picture and then click “Stories.” You’ll find the post under “Drafts.”

When you’re proofread and ready to go, click publish and start broadcasting your writing to a new group of readers.

That’s how easy it is to start publishing on Medium. Writers who take this strategy seriously have been known to build email lists of over 100,000 readers in just a few years (or sooner).

If those are the results you’re looking for, you’ll need some pro-level tactics.

6 Pro Tips to Get More Views on Your Medium Blog

 

I don’t claim to perfectly understand the Medium algorithm, so what follows is my imperfect opinion. But it’s based on my personal experience of growing on Medium and the advice of close friends who are wildly popular on the platform.

On the surface, Medium works a little like Twitter. People follow you, and when they do, your posts appear in their feeds.

The best way to gain followers is writing good posts, but you can take a few shortcuts if you know about them.

1. Connect your social media accounts for automatic Medium followers

Under account settings, you’ll find a section where you can connect your Twitter and Facebook accounts to your Medium account.

Here’s what’s crazy…

When you connect the accounts, take Twitter for example, Medium will automatically convert your Twitter followers into Medium followers (the ones who have a Medium account).

I had my Copybot partner Jesse do this and look what happened…

Here’s before he linked the accounts.

And here’s after…

Honestly, I can’t believe Medium does this. But it totally works and it’s free followers.

Plus, people who follow you on Twitter tend to be targeted followers since they’ve already expressed an interest in what you have to say.

If your Twitter account is already connected, not to fear. Just disconnect it and reconnect it. I do that every few months.

2. Get in a publication

You can write a viral Medium blog post even if you have very few followers. The secret?

Get in a publication.

Publications are more or less to Medium what group boards are to Pinterest. They have their own followers (sometimes several hundred thousand), and multiple contributors can write to those followers.

Similar to guest posting, you get published in a publication by pitching the editor.

Publications are expected to provide way more content than the average blog, so they’re generally open to quality new writers.

If you have a personal connection or know someone who does, start with those editors.

If you don’t, you can email some pitches. Always start by familiarizing yourself with the publication so you can make an informed pitch.

Look for publications that have the attention of your target readers. And remember, the bigger the publication, the better for you. But don’t be afraid to start small and work your way up as you gain a bigger presence on the platform.

Don’t like emailing strangers? I get that, but you need to get this…

My first six Medium blog posts (not in a publication) got a COMBINED 48 views.

When my 7th post was accepted into a popular publication, I got almost 11,000 views for that ONE post.

I also grew my email list by roughly 300 people.

3. Have friends recommend your posts and comment on them

One of the coolest features of Medium is the one click recommend. When a reader clicks the little green heart on your post, they’re endorsing it to their followers and to the Medium algorithm.

I don’t think it’s exactly like a retweet, but the general rule is, more recommends means more people will see your post.

The easiest way to get quick recommends? Send the post to your friends. A great strategy is to collaborate with a few other Medium writers by reading and recommending each other’s posts.

Two of my friends who are huge on Medium also think the number of comments on a post impacts how much Medium will show it. So you should ask your friends to comment and encourage comments in the post.

4. Share your posts on social media

Sharing on social media and encouraging other people to share adds a little bump to your Medium traffic. Obviously, this is also true of posts on your blog, but Medium traffic leads to recommends, which can lead to way more traffic.

Simply put, you’re more likely to go viral with a Medium blog post than on your own blog.

Which is why you might want to…

5. Consider mailing to your Medium posts

If you already have an email list, consider sending your traffic to Medium instead of your blog, since your odds of going viral are much higher on Medium.

One of the biggest writers on Medium used this trick, and it helped him get over 100K subscribers in roughly two years.

6. Recommend your own posts

This is a drop in the bucket, but you can click your own heart. And despite what you might think, I’ve watched a writer with over 160K Medium followers still use this little hack.

7. Use a winning headline template

Remember, no matter how good your post is, bad headlines repel views.

So obsess over your headline. Always come up with a few options and pick the best one.

Lists and how-to headlines do very well on Medium. But they’re not your only option.

My friend Dave Schools wrote an awesome post called “The 60 Most Recommended Medium Stories of All Time.”

Reference that post when you’re picking your next Medium headline.

8. Tag your posts

Before you publish a post or submit it to a publication, you can add up to 5 tags. Tagging a post makes it more likely to be seen by people who follow those tags (it’s kind of like a hashtag).

So when you write a post, tagging will help you reach targeted readers who are more likely to enjoy and recommend your writing.

If at first, you don’t succeed…

Medium takes work. You are not guaranteed anything. But in my opinion, it’s one of the simplest games to play when you’re building a following online.

Medium has produced huge email lists, profitable book deals, and a new scene of influencers. It’s a great way for bloggers to get noticed and grow their reach.

My first six posts did jack squat on Medium. Now I get roughly 200 recommends per post.

So don’t give up after one try.

And remember, the tips you’ve read can get you more views, but it’s up to the post to turn those views into recommends. So keep improving your writing.

We have a free resource below to help you write the kind of posts that hold attention online.

Want to blog better?

Whether you’re writing a Medium blog post or your own blog, you have to be good to rise above the clutter.

Hone your skills with our free email course “5 Days to Writing Blog Posts that Demand Attention.”

Click here to enroll in the course for free!

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3 Things Customers Expect from Your Videos for Customer Support

When’s the last time you actually read a “read-me” document or browsed a manual before using a product? For most of us, it’s rare.

Most customers share these sentiments and with the ubiquity of instant customer service options from live-chat to SMS, email, voice, and social, customers have been trained to expect things to just work and if they don’t, they want immediate, seamless support.

This is a tall order for customer support teams who are increasingly driven to craft self-help tools to offload the support volume. Many who try are finding that the best weapon to achieve this is self-help video.

Videos are powerful and necessary – according to research by Amazon, customers expect them. And Kayako, a video marketing agency, finds that they even prefer it: 68% of customers would rather watch a video than call support.

For those brands who plan to use them, here’s what your customers will expect:

 

The 3 things all customers expect from your videos for customer support:

 

1. Help fixing their immediate problem

First and foremost, your library of videos for customer support should intercept support issues before they reach an agent. Customers want quick, bite-sized video snippets organized by semantic keywords, which are how they would describe the problem in plain speak, such as:

• How do I reset my login?
• How do I replace the batteries?
• Why is my device set on the wrong language settings?

This requires a similar approach to creating an FAQ, and asking questions like: what problems do customers often run into? What’s the best way to demonstrate a solution? Where will they search for them?

And before you break out the camera equipment, take the time to truly evaluate the customer support journey. Conduct surveys, interviews, and ask support agents and salespeople – make sure that you’re answering useful questions before you invest your time.

Done well, these videos will deliver genuine value and teach customers that the answers to their questions lie in your self-help portal.

2. Help becoming more educated

Most of your videos should be focused on moving customers up the maturity curve, not just putting out fires, however. You want every customer to grow into an expert because they’ll be far happier when they’re more successful.

Begin with a solid sequence of customer on-boarding videos. On-boarding is the key to retaining successful, long-term customers and videos are the best way to do it: According to Forrester, a one-minute video is worth as many as 1.8 million words.

Customers will want these video courses to be short, sweet, and easily digestible because as first-time users, they’re going to be eager to skip them and dive right into the product. And make sure that your introductions for each are short, which makes them easy to watch back to back.

Cengage, an education services platform and Vidyard customer, has done an excellent job of building out a very solid library of on-boarding videos. They’re organized by user-role and are each just a few minutes long:

Image Credit: Cengage

Once customers are stabilized and proficient, educate them into fully mastery. Create a knowledge base of videos and merge them with your regular written knowledge base. Having both the video and text together is important because customers won’t always have the luxury of listening to audio and they may want to easily scan or skip to certain portions.

3. To see something worth sharing

Delighted customers want to share their new-found knowledge, especially if it’s particularly useful. Fuel this basic human desire with embedded sharing buttons on customer support videos about tricks or “hacks” that make their lives easier, such as shortcuts, pro-tips, or insider knowledge.

TurboTax has done a great job of this. They’ve created a prolific number of tax-related self-help videos that show up in searches and are accompanied by prominent share buttons.

Image credit: TurboTax

Happy customers sharing content like this evangelizes your brand and spreads education to the wider community which helps it support itself.

Great videos for customer support can diffuse support calls, educate customers, and build community, if you make them simple, short, and engaging that is. Follow these simple tips and your customers will be watching their way to success in no time.

Have more ideas for videos for customer support? Share in the comments below!

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